


things we do for love

by ByTheAngell (SomeLittleInfamy)



Series: Tumblr Prompts [39]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Background Malec, Feels, Gen, POV Magnus Bane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 18:50:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18371993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeLittleInfamy/pseuds/ByTheAngell
Summary: When Magnus confronts Lorenzo about Alec's visit while he was unconscious he isn't quite prepared for what he hears from his rival.





	things we do for love

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: what about Lorenzo telling Magnus how Alec begged him to help Magnus. How his boyfriend broke down crying to the High Warlock to help save him.

Magnus reaches for the door handle instinctively, the already heavy pit in his stomach growing when he forces himself to retract it, reminding himself he has to knock now.

Distinctly aware of the sound of moving furniture inside, he waits nearly an entire minute before the sound of footsteps finally approach the door and it swings open.

“Why, Mr. Bane, what an unexpected surprise,” Lorenzo greets. “Do come in - pardon the mess, I’m in the midst of a little redecorating.”

The regret over coming here at all is immediate. The are portraits on the wall that aren’t his - not just Lorenzo’s portraits, but portraits _of_ _Lorenzo_ , hanging in a space that used to hold a piece gifted to him from Ragnor two centuries ago. A quick scan of the room shows almost all of his furniture and decorative pieces gone.

It’s like he never existed here at all, and Magnus feels sick to his stomach.

“Like what I’ve done with the place? It was in dire need of some sprucing up.”

Magnus hates it. It’s gaudy, tacky, and every last inch of it screams of someone trying much too hard to look impressive.

“It suits you,” Magnus manages, the most civil he can bring himself to be.

“If you came here to beg for it back, I’m sorry to say--” Lorenzo starts, but that’s as far as he gets before Magnus cuts him off, eager to keep his dignity about this aspect of his visit at the very least.  
  
“I’m not. I already told you - it’s just a place. And it’s yours now, a deal’s a deal.” The words feel hollow. They’re ones he repeated more than once since they made the agreement, words he says over and over again to Alec, to Cat, to Lorenzo, and most often to himself. Magnus hasn’t believed them a single time but it must sound convincing because Lorenzo nods.

“Then why are you here?” Lorenzo’s eyes narrow, immediately suspicious.

“What did you take from Alexander?” Magnus doesn’t bother to beat around the bush before asking.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

And, to Lorenzo’s credit, Magnus sees what appears to be genuine confusion register across his features. Not that he believes it, but it’s convincing.

“Oh, come off it. You didn’t come back to help me out of the kindness of your heart; you’d just as soon watch me die on that hospital bed. So, what did you ask him for in return?” Magnus’ hands are balled up at his sides to keep them from shaking, clenching and unclenching, useless. If he had magic Lorenzo would already be pinned to the nearest wall until he answers… then again, if he had magic they wouldn’t be here in the first place.

“I didn’t ask for anything-”

“You aren’t a _goddamn Seelie, Rey_ ,” Magnus snaps. “So quit talking circles around it. What did Alec offer you? What did _you get_ out of helping me.” He’s mostly upset at himself, frustrated that he didn’t think to ask this before agreeing to the action back at the Institute. Alec denied trading anything for it and Magnus dropped it with him because he didn’t want a fight with his boyfriend, not now, not over this. But he’s not going to be so quick to let it go with Lorenzo.

“I might as well be, because I’m not lying about this. He didn’t come to make a trade - he came to make _demands_ , and when that didn’t work-” Lorenzo smirks. “He was ever-so-quick to point out that you’re no longer a threat to me. So what did I have to lose in keeping you alive?” The smug look on Lorenzo’s face is infuriating, but he’s finally giving him the answer he wants and so Magnus contains the worst of the rage he feels flare up as Lorenzo continues.  “Let’s just say the two of you have more in common than I thought. The poor boy begged me to take it back, to undo the deal we made. He broke down and cried,” Lorenzo pauses, eyeing Magnus. “Right where you stand now. ”

Magnus looks down at his feet, picturing the room around him, imagining Alec standing across from Lorenzo just like this with tears in his eyes and pleading words on his tongue. His heart aches at the thought.

He despises everything about it, but it explains the way Alec avoided his gaze earlier when he asked about it, insisting nothing happened. It startled Magnus enough to see Alec beg him to take Lorenzo’s help, he can barely imagine Alec with all his stoic strength breaking down in front of Lorenzo Rey, of all people. He hates himself for putting Alec in that position. Up until this moment he could imagine Alec storming in all fire and rage, bow drawn. The stark contrast of the reality Lorenzo describes is almost too much for him to consider. 

“Sobbing over a dying, _helpless_ warlock... what a peculiar Shadowhunter you found yourself." Magnus thinks he sees a momentary softening in Lorenzo's expression, a flicker of sympathy, but it's gone just as quickly. "It was all quite touching. I’m not _heartless_ , contrary to popular belief. Plus, your boyfriend made it very clear he wasn’t going to stop until I agreed, and I’m a very busy man these days. I understand your concern, though - I’m certain he would’ve agreed to _anything_ to save your life.”

“So why didn’t you ask for anything?” Magnus has to ask, because it doesn’t sit right with him. He of all people can appreciate the power of Alec’s sad, hurt expressions, but not when it comes from the man who took his entire life from him.

“...because sometimes having someone as powerful as the Head of the New York Institute owe you a favor is a better trade than any physical object.” Lorenzo says the words as simply as if he’s discussing the benefits of whole milk over fat free.

And there it is. Magnus has no way of telling if Lorenzo is lying to him - maybe he actually did come back because he felt guilty, and for no other reason. Maybe he was hoping for a moment like this where he could use Alec’s words to him against Magnus. Or maybe he wants to keep Alec’s debt to him in his back pocket for as long as possible, a trump card to pull in a desperate moment.

Whatever the reasoning, Magnus knows that Alec is telling him the truth. There was no trade. And instead of trusting him, all Magnus did was bring himself here to feel even worse about his current situation and the struggle he continues to put those foolish enough to love him through.  He was probably better off not knowing the specifics about Alec’s visit but there’s no taking it back now. He came here for answers and he got them.

“Are we done here, Bane?” Lorenzo prompts, and Magnus comes back to himself, remembering where he is and what he’s doing here as he shakes himself from the spiral of this thoughts.

“Yes,” he says, turning to leave this place for what he hopes is the final time. Magnus doesn’t look back.  “I have a dinner to get ready for.”

**Author's Note:**

> (Find me on [Tumblr](http://bytheangell.tumblr.com) and also on [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/By_The_Angell) while we all hang out waiting for someone to #SaveShadowhunters ! <3)


End file.
